Rotary engine



Patented Mar. 2l, |899.

J. SPI-:NCL RTARY ENGI NE. (pblication filed Dc. 9, 18980 UNITED STATESyPATENT, OFFICE.

JOHN SPENCE, OF ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA.

ROTARY ENGINE.

i SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 621,721, dated March21, 18959.

Application filed December 9, 1898- Serial No. 698,744. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN SPENCE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Erie, in the county of Erie and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines; and I dodeclare the following to be a full, clear, and eX- act description ofthe invention, such as will enable othersl skilled inl the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and

'to the letters of reference marked thereon,

which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in steam-engines,and especially to a rotary eccentric piston type, in which a steam-chestis provided with a rocking valve designed to open and close alternatelytwo ports which merge into one ductimmediately before the interior lofthe steam-cylinder is `vention may pertain the same consists, further,in the novel construction, combination,

and adaptation of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described andthen specifically defined in the appended claim.

Myinvention is clearlyillustrated in the accompanying drawings, which,with the letters of reference marked thereon, form a part of thisapplication, and in which- Figure l is a side elevation-of my engine,showing one of the cylinder-heads removed. Fig. 2 is a sectional viewthrough one of the wings carried by the rotary disk. Fig. 3 is a detailview of one of the wings, showing the spring-actuated strip at the endto take up wear and make a steam-tight contact with the cylinder-head.

Reference now being had to the details of the drawings by letter, Adesignates the casing or cylinder, in which is j ournaled the shaft B,carrying the rotary disk-C. Mounted in recesses in said disk are theWings D, which are spring-actuated, the springs E being provided toforce the wings outward to receive the impact of the steam, which is fedfrom the steam-chest. Each end of the wings is grooved, as at F, toreceive a packing-strip G, and each packing-strip has pins G',- designedto be seated in holes D in the wing, and a spring H is provided to throwthe strip out from the wing toward the cylinder-head K. Seated in thefaces of the diskare the semicircular rings M, and a spring or springs Mare provided, which are seated in the grooves channeled to receive saidsemicircular rings. These sectional rings are designed to be thrown outagainst the cylinder-heads to form a steam-tight contact with the same.

The portion of the chamber surrounding the rotary disk is enlarged, asat A', in which enlarged portion the wings are disposed when receivingthe impact vof the steam, and at one end of this space is aneXhaust-port'R, while at its opposite end is a duct S, having branchingducts S' and S2, which latter ducts lead into the steam-chest T. Mountedin this chest is a shaft Q, to which is fastened the rocking shoe orcut-o valve J. This cut-off valve conforms to the curved surface of thesteamchest and is of sufficient length to close both of the ducts S' andS2, but when rocked to alternately open and close said ducts. The valveis rocked by means ofl eccentric connection with the main shaft, asshown.

In operation it will be observed that by the arrangement of the ductsleading away from the steam-chest and opening at one end of the enlargedspace in the steam cylinder the steam is allowed to force one of thewings throughout the length of the enlarged space in the cylinder fromsteam coming from one duct S' or S2, and by the time the second wingcomes adjacent to the outlet 'of the duct S the cut-o valve will haverocked back, so as to open a steam-duct and allow steam to propel thesecond wing.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim to be new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

IOO

In a rotary concentric engine, the combina tion with the casin g, theshaft mounted therein and disk carried by said shaft, the springactuatedpistons D having their ends slotted l into a single duct Sbeforeentering the steain- 1o as at E, the spring-actuated packing-strips Gcylinder, all as shown and described.

having lugs designed to be seated in holes in ln testimony whereofIafiix my signature the said recesses, the seinicircular packinginpresence of tWo Witnesses.

rings M and springs M disposed about the 1 outer faces of said diskadjacent to its cir- JOHN SPLNCE' culnference, the steam-chest having arocklVitnesses: ing cut-oit valve, from which steam-chest the MARTIN J.DELANEY, branching ducts S' and S2 lead, and merge JOHN S. TURNBULL.

